USS Sailfish (SS-192)
History of the USS Sailfish Submarine
The USS Sailfish (SS-192) was originally named the USS Squalus. She was ordered for the U.S. Navy before World War II. Her keel was laid down at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire on October 18, 1937. She was launched on September 14, 1938 and commissioned on March 1, 1939 under the command of Lieutenant Oliver F. Naquin.
The USS Squalus was conducting test dives off Portsmouth, New Hampshire when she flooded and struck bottom on May 23, 1939, killing 26 men. The submarine was located by the USS Sculpin, allowing the submarine rescue ship USS Falcon to send down divers to rescue the remaining 33 survivors of the crew. Four of the divers received the Medal of Honor for the rescue.
After difficult salvage operations, the USS Squalus was raised on September 13, 1939. She was towed to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where she was decommissioned on November 15 to undergo reconditioning and repair work.
The submarine was renamed the USS Sailfish on February 9, 1940 and recommissioned on May 15, 1940 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Morton C. Mumma, Jr. Her refit was complete in September, and she arrived at Pearl Harbor in March 1941. The submarine was operating with the Asiatic Fleet out of Manila when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7.
The USS Sailfish departed Manila for her first war patrol on December 8 in the waters off Luzon. She spotted a landing force on December 10, along with its cruisers and destroyers, but she could not get into a firing position. Three days later, she attempted an attack on two other destroyers, but she did not cause any damage before she had to dive to escape the resulting depth charge attack. Her patrol ended on December 17 at Manila.
On December 21, the USS Sailfish headed out for her second war patrol off Formosa. Her torpedoes damaged a Japanese cruiser on January 27, 1945, but a depth charge attack prevented her from assessing the damage done. She put in at Tjilatjap on Valentine’s Day.
Her third war patrol commenced five days later, and the USS Sailfish sailed for the Java Sea. On March 2, her torpedoes sank the Japanese aircraft transport Kamogawa Maru. The submarine put in on March 19 at Fremantle.
The USS Sailfish got underway for her fourth war patrol on March 22 in the Java Sea and the Celebes Sea. She delivered antiaircraft ammunition to guerillas in the Philippines before returning to Fremantle on May 21.
After refitting, the USS Sailfish departed Fremantle on June 13 for her fifth war patrol in the South China Sea. Her torpedoes damaged the Japanese transport Aobasan Maru on July 9. This patrol ended on August 1 back at Fremantle.
On September 13, the USS Sailfish began her sixth war patrol in the Solomon Islands. She made unsuccessful attacks on enemy shipping that week, and she suffered minor damage from a depth charge attack on September 19. The submarine put in at Brisbane on November 1.
The USS Sailfish left Brisbane for her seventh war patrol on November 24 in the waters south of New Britain. She scored a hit on a Japanese submarine on Christmas Day, but postwar analysis could not confirm a sinking. She ended her patrol at Pearl Harbor on January 15, 1943.
From there, the USS Sailfish was sent on to Mare Island Naval Shipyard for overhaul. She returned to Pearl Harbor on April 30 and sailed for her eighth war patrol on May 17 off Honshu. On June 15, she sank the Japanese merchant ship Shinju Maru. Her torpedoes sank the collier Iburi Maru 10 days later. Her patrol ended on July 3 at Midway.
After refitting, the USS Sailfish headed out for her ninth war patrol on July 25 in Formosa Strait and the waters off Okinawa. During this time, she encountered only two enemy surface contacts, neither of which made a worthwhile target. She returned to Pearl Harbor on September 16.
The USS Sailfish got underway for her tenth war patrol on November 17 in the waters south of Honshu. On December 4, she sank the Japanese escort carrier Chuyo. Nine days later, she sank the transport Totai Maru. Her torpedoes sank the troop transport Uyo Maru on December 21. The submarine ended her patrol at Pearl Harbor on January 5, 1944.
From Pearl Harbor, the USS Sailfish was ordered to Mare Island Navy Yard in California for overhaul. Once her yard work was complete, she returned to Pearl Harbor and commenced her eleventh war patrol on July 9 between Luzon and Formosa. On August 7, she sank the Japanese ship Kinshu Maru. Her torpedoes sank the troop transport Toan Maru on August 24. This patrol ended on September 8 at Midway.
On September 26, the USS Sailfish sailed for her twelfth and final war patrol between Luzon and Formosa. She sank a Japanese sampan with her gunfire on October 12, damaged a tug, and rescued 11 downed U.S. aviators. Twelve days later, she landed her passengers at Saipan and made some minor repairs. The submarine resumed her patrol, and she damaged the destroyer Harukaze with her torpedoes on November 4. She returned to Pearl Harbor on December 11 and was sent on to New London via the Panama Canal.
The USS Sailfish operated as a training ship until the end of World War II. She was decommissioned on October 27, 1945, struck from the Naval Vessel Register on April 30, 1948, and sold for scrap on June 18 later that year. The submarine received nine battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation for her service in World War II.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
Sources include:
Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences, by John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed
